Nigerian Army Denies Alleged Killing Of Nasarawa Poly Student By Soldiers

The Nigerian Army has debunked reports that its soldiers were responsible for the death of a student of Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic in Nasarawa State, Terhile Timothy Achinya.

According to reports, the National Diploma (ND) 2 Mechanical Engineering student who was supposed to have graduated this week went out with friends to celebrate their sign-out at a hotel opposite the school campus on September 6, 2024,  when soldiers arrived to make some arrests.

Timothy's schoolmates alleged that Ejimba was assaulted by the soldiers and this led to his death.

However, Army spokesperson, Major General Onyeama Nwachukwu, in a statement on Tuesday, September 17, said the deceased was rescued after he was ‘’attacked by a mob suspected to be cultists. ‘’

Nwachukwu noted that it is disheartening that the incident which happened on 6 September led to the loss of life.

He, however, denied that Achinya was killed by soldiers, stating that a mob gathered after some persons suspected to be cultists were accused of terrorising students.

“However, troops did not kill the individual. Rather, what transpired was that the troops on that day received a distress call that cultists were causing mayhem at Nasarawa State Polytechnic,” he said.

“The report indicated that a mob had gathered, and an individual whose identity could not be ascertained at the time was under attack.

"A patrol was immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, the troops successfully rescued the individual from the mob, and the injured civilian was administered first aid on the spot. “During the operation, one other suspect believed to be a member of the cult group and part of the mob, was apprehended.

''Before the suspects were transferred to police custody, the injured person was asked to provide any information that could aid in identifying members of the mob and also to provide the reason for his attack.   

 “The civilian provided significant details that led to the identification and subsequent arrest of four additional suspects. This brought the total number of arrests to six.”

 He said all six suspects were returned to the troops' operational base for preliminary investigation before they would be handed over to the police on September 7, 2024.

 "However, at approximately 0500 am on 7 September 2024, while delivering food to the six suspects, the previously injured individual was found unconscious. "Immediate medical attention was sought, and he was rushed to a clinic for further evaluation. Unfortunately, after thorough examinations, the individual was pronounced dead by the attending medical personnel.”

 He further stated that his body was deposited at the Nasarawa State Specialist Hospital.

 “The deceased, still unidentified, was transported to the Nasarawa State Specialist Hospital. His body was deposited at the hospital's mortuary under the status of ‘person unknown.’ His body is not being held by the troops as alleged," he said.

 The elder brother of the deceased, Joseph Achinya, accused the Nigerian Army of failing to release the remains of the deceased to the family.

 “We have gone to the school and even my father came from the village over the issue. We have not seen his corpse because we learnt that the army has taken it away and all efforts to get to the Army proved abortive,” Joseph told SaharaReporters.

 He also accused the Nigerian Army of acting on false information.

 “We learnt that a man in the school asked my brother for money, which he said he did not have. The man went to inform the army officials stationed outside the school that he knew my brother was a ‘Yahoo boy’ (Internet fraudster),” he said.

 "Immediately they got this information, they got my brother and one other person who I learnt is still at the hospital and not dead yet. They beat them up and my brother lost his life.”

 Joseph denied that his brother was a fraudster or cultist.

“My father is in the village. He is the one that usually sends us money at school and we also make money from other small jobs that we do. They killed my brother for no reason," he added.